Frederick Chopin, as a Man and Musician — Volume 2 eBook

Through a kind communication from Madame Schumann
I have learned that Wenzel’s account does not
quite agree with her diary. There she finds written
that her father, Friedrich Wieck, felt offended because
Chopin, for whose recognition in Germany he had done
so much, had not called upon him immediately after
his arrival. Chopin made his appearance only
two hours before his departure, but then did not find
Wieck at home, for he, to avoid Chopin, had gone out
and had also taken his daughter Clara with him.
When Wieck returned an hour later, he found unexpectedly
Chopin still there. Clara had now to play to
the visitor. She let him hear Schumann’s
F sharp minor Sonata, two Etudes by Chopin, and a
movement of a Concerto by herself. After this
Chopin played his E flat major Nocturne. By degrees
Wieck’s wrath subsided, and finally he accompanied
Chopin to the post-house, and parted from him in the
most friendly mood.

APPENDIX IV.

RebeccaDirichletonChopinatMarienbad.

(Vol. I., p. 309.)

When Rebecca Dirichlet came with her husband to Marienbad,
she learnt that Chopin did not show himself, and that
his physician and a Polish countess, who completely
monopolised him, did not allow him to play. Having,
however, heard so much of his playing from her brothers,
she was, in order to satisfy her curiosity, even ready
to commit the bassesse of presenting herself as the
soeur de Messieurs Paul et Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.
As she humorously wrote a few days later: “The
bassesse towards Chopin has been committed and has
completely failed. Dirichlet went to him, and
said that a soeur, &c.—­only a mazurka—­impossible,
mal aux nerfs, mauvais piano—­et comment
se porte cette chere Madame Hensel, el Paul est marie?
heureux couple, &c.—­allez vous promener—­the
first and the last time that we do such a thing.”

APPENDIX V.

PalmaandValdemosa.

(Vol. II., pp. 22-48.)

The Argosy of 1888 contains a series of Letters from
Majorca by Charles W. Wood, illustrated by views of
Palma, Valdemosa, and other parts of the island.
The illustrations in the April number comprise a general
view of the monastery of Valdemosa, and views of one
of its courts and of the cloister in which is situated
the cell occupied by George Sand and Chopin in the
winter of 1838- 1839. The cloister has a groined
vault, on one side the cell doors, and on the other
side, opening on the court, doors and rectangular
windows with separate circular windows above them.
The letters have been republished in book form (London:
Bentley and Sons).